Vicente Ferrer Moncho
Encyclopedia
Vicente Ferrer Moncho (Barcelona
, Spain
9 April 1920 - Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
, 19 June 2009) was a philanthropist who spent his life working to improve the lives of the poor in the mission he founded in Southern India. Today the Vicente Ferrer Foundation carries out humanitarian projects in Andhra Pradesh, bringing aid to over 2.5 million poor people. many of whom are considered Dalit
or untouchable.
(Workers' Party of the Marxist Unification) and at 16 he was called up by the military to serve in the Spanish Civil War
. He participated in the Battle of the Ebro
(1938) and the retreat of the Republican army to France
after the fall of the Catalan front. Briefly he was in the concentration camp of Argelès-sur-Mer. Not having committed any crimes in the conflict, he opted to come back to Spain, and was handed over by French authorities to Franco
’s Spanish authorities in Hendaya, by whom he was confined in the concentration camp of Betanzos in 1939. He was finally liberated and in 1944 he abandoned his Law studies and entered the Society of Jesus
.
. After deciding to increase his focus in helping the poor, in 1958 he created with a group of followers in Manmad
(North of Mumbai
), "Rural Development Association". This organization started with twelve acres of land and a school. Although, due to the crisis in the rural area, many peasants wanted to emigrate, Vicente Ferrer encouraged local peasants to dig wells and told them “I will pay you with wheat and oil.” He gave water pumps with credits and with no interests or guarantees. The organization reached 3,000 wells.
After the publication of the article “The silent revolution” in 1968 in the The Illustrated Weekly of India
, one of the most read Indian magazines at the time, he was expelled in 1968 by the Indian authorities. A year later, with the blessings of Indira Gandhi, he was granted permission to return so that he could continue his work in the poverty-stricken city of Anantapur. Eventually, he left the Jesuits
but continued his humanitarian work.
After his return, he started another project in Anantapur; he again set up irrigation systems, this time in a desert area that was completely barren. The cooperative work method that he instituted there goes by the name of "linked brotherhood": help is given to each peasant in digging his own well, with material and food for the length of the work; when this is finished the peasantrnalist Anne Perry.
In 1998 he was awarded Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award for Concord.
He was a candidate for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
9 April 1920 - Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 19 June 2009) was a philanthropist who spent his life working to improve the lives of the poor in the mission he founded in Southern India. Today the Vicente Ferrer Foundation carries out humanitarian projects in Andhra Pradesh, bringing aid to over 2.5 million poor people. many of whom are considered Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
or untouchable.
Childhood and Youth
In his youth he was for a while affiliated with the POUMPoum
Poum is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The town of Poum is located in the far northwest, located on the southern part of Banare Bay, with Mouac Island just offshore....
(Workers' Party of the Marxist Unification) and at 16 he was called up by the military to serve in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. He participated in the Battle of the Ebro
Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War...
(1938) and the retreat of the Republican army to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after the fall of the Catalan front. Briefly he was in the concentration camp of Argelès-sur-Mer. Not having committed any crimes in the conflict, he opted to come back to Spain, and was handed over by French authorities to Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
’s Spanish authorities in Hendaya, by whom he was confined in the concentration camp of Betanzos in 1939. He was finally liberated and in 1944 he abandoned his Law studies and entered the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
Missionary
He arrived in India in 1952 as a Jesuit missionaryMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
. After deciding to increase his focus in helping the poor, in 1958 he created with a group of followers in Manmad
Manmad
Manmad is one of the cities in Nasik district in the state of Maharashtra state in India. It is the third largest city in Nasik district, with a population of approximately 125,000...
(North of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
), "Rural Development Association". This organization started with twelve acres of land and a school. Although, due to the crisis in the rural area, many peasants wanted to emigrate, Vicente Ferrer encouraged local peasants to dig wells and told them “I will pay you with wheat and oil.” He gave water pumps with credits and with no interests or guarantees. The organization reached 3,000 wells.
After the publication of the article “The silent revolution” in 1968 in the The Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India was an English language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 and ceasing publication in 1993...
, one of the most read Indian magazines at the time, he was expelled in 1968 by the Indian authorities. A year later, with the blessings of Indira Gandhi, he was granted permission to return so that he could continue his work in the poverty-stricken city of Anantapur. Eventually, he left the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
but continued his humanitarian work.
After his return, he started another project in Anantapur; he again set up irrigation systems, this time in a desert area that was completely barren. The cooperative work method that he instituted there goes by the name of "linked brotherhood": help is given to each peasant in digging his own well, with material and food for the length of the work; when this is finished the peasantrnalist Anne Perry.
In 1998 he was awarded Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award for Concord.
He was a candidate for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
.